Back to Back
by ChidoriValentine
Summary: When a mission goes south, Naruto is saved by a man he presumed dead. Awakening back in Konoha with no memory of the mission he tries to figure out what happened. And who is that mysterious man and why does he care? Does he have answers or does he bring more problems for the teen?
1. Not-so Stranger

**Prologue**

**Not-so Stranger**

"…to…" someone called out from the blackness. "Naruto wake up!" Naruto wasn't sure where he was or what was going on. His ears were ringing and his eyelids felt heavy. He really just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Naruto! Come on!" There was that voice again. Why couldn't they leave him alone? He was tempted to tell the guy to buzz off but that would mean opening his eyes. His complaint came out as a soft groan and he tried to turn away but pain lanced down his spine. Arms tightened around him and he felt a hand on his cheek. He realized then that he was leaning against this person; he could vaguely hear a heartbeat next to his ear.

"Naruto," the voice said once more. The voice was soft and caring, something warm brushed his cold cheek. He opened his eyes and focused on two concerned pools of blue. Something tugged at his throbbing brain.

"You," he croaked as he recognized the face that was so similar to his own.

"Me," the man gave a small smile.

"I'm dead," Naruto said breathily. His father squeezed him gently.

"No, no, no," he almost cooed to him. "You are very much alive," he said gently brushing a strand of hair off his sweaty forehead. Naruto shivered from the strange cold he was under. The pain in his head became too much to bear for a moment. He closed his eyes and shivered again.

"Hey, stay with me," Minato said worriedly, he adjusted the arm that was cradling the sixteen year olds head. His hand was coated in warm blood. Naruto's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment.

"It's cold," he mumbled trying to keep his eyes open but the pain was becoming too much.

"I know, I know. Just try to focus on me, all right? I'm here," Minato said trying to be calm. Naruto had a pretty serious head injury and he was losing a lot of blood, his skull might've been fractured for all Minato knew, he was no medical-nin. Naruto let out a haggard breath and his teeth chattered a little.

"Dad how?" Naruto asked in one breath trying to do as his father told him. He was referring to how his father was here right now. He had bean "dead" for the last sixteen years and twenty-three days. Minato had been keeping count.

"It's a long and complicated story. I'll tell you sometime," he replied and indeed it was. "But I'm here now," and he had no intention of leaving any time soon. He noticed how cold Naruto was becoming even though he had on long pants and a jacket.

"Will you tell me?" Naruto whispered his blue eyes almost looked afraid, as if he didn't believe him when he said that he was alive.

"I'm afraid you'll hate me," Minato answered. Naruto was talking and that was a good sign. He shifted himself slightly away so that he could unzip his cloak. He pushed it aside and brought him closer trying to give him some of his body heat.

"Maybe only a little," Naruto joked, he even tried to give a half-hearted laugh but it came out as a choked gurgle followed by a sharp intake of breath. Minato smiled a little as well, he deserved to be hated by his son.

"But I want to know," Naruto added, closing his eyes and drawing in a shaky breath. Minato wasn't sure what to say.

"We'll have a long talk when we get you outta here," Minato said with a smile.

"Mmm," was the only thing he got in return, Naruto hadn't reopened his eyes.

"Hey Naruto, stay with me here," Minato said a little forcefully, he wasn't going to let him join Kushina. "Time to go," he said looking around. He hooked his arm under Naruto's knees and gently lifted him up with him as he stood.

"It's been awhile since I used this move, so I might be a little rusty. Your dad might not live up to his ole nickname anymore. Add that to the list," Minato said before they both vanished.

* * *

Rain poured down on Konoha, and lightning flashed across the sky. The night nurse at the hospital twirled her pencil around her fingers. It was so boring working at night, visiting hours were long over and the patients were all asleep. She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was two in the morning meaning she had four more hours to go. She sighed and leaned back at the chair, it was so quiet and she could feel herself slowly… falling… asleep... she shrieked as the door banged open with a roll of thunder. The nurse gawked at the man standing in the doorway; he was wearing a bulky black cloak with the hood pulled up, lightning lanced the sky behind him. He looked like something straight from a horror film. She was so not going to die for this job! She was too caught up in her fear that she didn't even notice the figure in his arms.

"Hey he needs help!" he shouted as he walked closer to the desk. Her brain finally caught up with her as she noticed the body. She rushed around the desk and ushered him to a gurney.

"What happened?" she asked as he gingerly set the blonde boy down.

"Head injury. He was awake for a little bit but then he passed out," the man explained.

"Was he disoriented?" she asked as she quickly checked his vitals, she needed to go find the doctor; the left side of the boy's head was covered in blood.

"A little bit but he knew who he was." She glanced up at the man, his hood had slipped back and she could see that he had blonde spikey hair like this boy. She wondered briefly if they were related. She took a closer look at the patient and noticed the strange marks on his face.

"Hey isn't this…" she looked back up at the man but he was gone. She looked around and found that she was alone.

"What's going on? Did you scream?" the doctor came running down the hallway. "Where did he come from?" Their attention focused on the boy and for a while the night nurse forgot about the mysterious man.

* * *

**CV: Hello again! To new readers- welcome! This is like a re-upload now I guess with edits. Yes Naruto knows. That will be explained at some point soon. The reason this is rated T is because of mild language and maybe some gore later on. Thanks for reading! Next time on _Back to Back:_ Confusion**


	2. Confusion

**Chapter One**

**Confusion**

Naruto blinked a few times, recognizing the white tiles of the hospital ceiling. _Why am I here_? His head ached and he remembered it hurting a lot worse. He lifted his hand to rub his eyes. God it was bright in the room. He heard the door open and close but he didn't feel like looking to see who it was. There was something nagging on his mind about how he had gotten to the hospital.

"You're finally awake?" He peaked through his fingers and saw Granny standing over him.

"Granny," he croaked, wincing at how dry his throat was. She frowned down at him for a moment before moving to get him a cup of water. Naruto tried to sit up but the world spun dangerously.

"Take it easy," Tsunade said over his groan and placed a hand on his shoulder. "So I finally cave and send you on a solo mission and you go and nearly get yourself killed. I should've expected as much," Tsunade said gruffly folding her arms.

"Ha yeah. Sorry about that I guess," Naruto said with a small grin.

"Sorry?! You came in here with a serious head injury," Tsunade said, her voice getting louder. Naruto cringed as her voice assaulted his ears and aching head. Tsunade noticed and sighed, her words always fell on deaf ears when it came to him anyway. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I'm going to check your wound."

Tsunade undid the bandages around his head and checked the injury. It never ceased to amaze her how fast Naruto could heal, in a day or two this serious injury would be completely gone without a trace. She could tell though that Naruto was still in some pain.

"So are you going to give me your report?" she asked as she activated her medical ninjutsu to check on his brain.

"Yeah about that," Naruto said closing his eyes. "I… can't remember any of it." Lady Tsunade stopped what she was doing and sighed again.

"Well that's what you get for cracking your head open. What's the last thing you remember?" she asked pulling out a fresh set of bandages.

"Um… I was standing in front of your desk," Naruto answered.

"There's a decent gap there, you were deployed two weeks ago. You missed your rendezvous five days ago. We were looking for you but then you just showed up here early yesterday morning. I would like to know what you were doing. Oh don't be a baby, you probably deserve this," Tsunade said as Naruto flinched when secured the bandage tight. She wasn't going to admit how worried she was about him. She hadn't even wanted to send him on the solo mission but they were pressed for resources and he was available. But when he didn't come back and the search parties kept coming back empty she thought for sure that the Akatsuki had gotten him this time. But then he had just miraculously appeared in the hospital.

"I have no idea," Naruto frowned. Something seemed off to him. It was like there was a memory floating right under the surface but the water was too murky to see it.

"Naruto, do you at least remember how you got here?" she asked.

"There was a man," he said slowly, concentrating hard. He remembered seeing the silhouette of the guy but he couldn't seem to remember his features.

"Did you know him?" she asked. Suddenly he remembered staring up at concerned blue eyes. The Fourth Hokage_. _

_Dad._

_"It's a long complicated story. I'll tell you sometime."_

But that must have all been a dream. He was still dead.

"Naruto?" Tsunade asked and he realized that he had been quiet.

"No. I guess I thought I did but… I must have been out of it," Naruto smiled a bit forcefully. Tsunade studied him carefully.

"You sure?" Tsunade asked.

"Yeah. Why, who was it?" Naruto asked, suddenly feeling a little empty. He almost didn't want to know, he could live with his fantasy even if it was just that. But he should thank whoever saved his behind.

"We don't know. They disappeared right after they dropped you off," Tsunade sighed.

"Huh… Sorry, I don't know," Naruto shook his head slightly. _Weird,_ he thought, but he didn't particularly feel anything about it.

"Well then we should just be grateful that you're alright. Just get some rest. Your memory should come back in a few days," Tsunade said.

"When can I get out of here?"

"We'll see Naruto. If you're good then maybe tomorrow," Tsunade sighed.

"Fine," he sighed grumpily.

"All right, I'll stop by later," she nodded and left Naruto alone.

Naruto leaned back onto the pillow and closed his eyes. _What happened?_ It bothered him that he couldn't remember his mission. He wouldn't just scrap a mission for no reason. Why did he disappear? And the man, why could he remember him but not the mission? _Then again I don't really remember that,_ Naruto mused since he thought the man had been his father. He wondered who he was though; he should probably thank him for saving his life. Maybe he had some answers as to what happened.

_"It's a long and complicated story."_

Naruto opened his eyes and frowned at the ceiling. What was that supposed to mean? And did the man really say that or was it the strange illusion that he had imagined up. Naruto gave a frustrated grunt and rubbed at his eyes, all these questions with no answers was making his head hurt worse and making him restless. He decided that he wasn't going to stick around in the hospital that was the last place he was going to get anything done in. Naruto sat up slowly and swung his legs over the side not waiting for the throbbing in his head to abate. He stood quickly and immediately sat back down as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Damn," he muttered once the spell had passed. He was going to have to take this slower than he thought. He stood again holding onto the bed railing for support, he was mildly annoyed with the throbbing but it wasn't so bad this time around. Naruto sat back down on the bed once he found his clothes and slipped his shirt over his head.

_"I promise."_

He shook his head and reached for the bedside table to grab his headband, scowling when his fingers only found wood.

"Aw you've got to be kidding me!" he groaned as he searched the table. "I can't believe it!" he searched the closet and his pockets but his headband was nowhere to be found. "Dammit!" he swore again as sadness settled over him. He couldn't believe he lost his headband. Miserably he snuck out through the window and headed towards his apartment.

"Naruto!" he heard a somewhat angry familiar voice call him. He looked up and saw Sakura and the rest of Team Kakashi approaching him. He inwardly cringed and wondered what his chances of escaping were, Sakura looked like she was about to hit him.

"Uh, hey guys," he said meekly as they approached. Sakura reared back to slap the back of his head but noticing the bandage she punched him on the shoulder.

"Owww! Sakura!" Naruto whined grabbing his shoulder.

"You idiot! What did you do?" Sakura yelled standing over Naruto.

"I don't know! Stop yelling," Naruto said flinching away from her.

"You don't know?" she asked.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged. "The last thing I remember was getting my mission and then… waking up here." He didn't know why he didn't mention the man.

"Then how did you get back here?" Sai asked.

"That's an answer I'd like to know, we were just out looking for you," Kakashi said.

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged. "Like I said, I woke up here."

"You must have really hit your head," Sakura frowned and placed her hand on his head to check him over.

"I just came from the hospital," he whined and shifted out of her grasp.

"You're supposed to still be there aren't you?" she demanded with her hands on her hips.

"Granny said I was fine," he pouted.

"That's not an answer," she pulled up on his ear. "Back to the hospital."

"Sakura!" he groaned.

* * *

Minato slowly opened the window and stepped into the room, cringing as the floorboard creaked under his weight. He froze for a moment and listened, the soft snores coming from the room on his left informed him that his son still slept. He wasn't sure whether he should be grateful that his son was a heavy sleeper or concerned that he hadn't sensed him. But then again his chakra was masked to practically non-existent levels and Naruto had probably gotten used to this old place's creaking.

He made his way to the bedroom and peered around the door. Naruto was sprawled out on his bed, hands and feet practically in every corner and the blankets tangled in between. Minato couldn't help but smile at the site.

_Naruto is okay_.

But he didn't have time to stand and stare. He walked over to the bedside table and placed Naruto's headband on it. He had felt terrible about abandoning him at the hospital, and he had beaten himself up that he had forgotten about the headband that had been in his pocket, but he had been reckless already. The woman had seen him at the hospital and she could have recognized him. Naruto grumbled and rolled over onto his side and Minato froze again. All Naruto had to do was open his eyes and he'd see him and all the sneaking around and lying would stop.

_But not just yet._

Minato chewed on his lip, a habit that he thought he had kicked a long time ago. Things were about to get complicated and it was all up to Naruto to determine the outcome. Minato was putting sixteen years on the line; if Naruto rejected him (and he had every reason to) Minato didn't know what he would do. He took one more risk and adjusted the blankets around Naruto, tucking him in.

"We'll talk soon Naruto," he whispered, hand hovering over his son's head before leaving.

* * *

Naruto yawned and blinked his eyes open. Tsunade had begrudgingly let him go home after his escape attempt. He sat up slowly and rubbed his forehead even though he was mostly healed he was still a little achy.

"I still can't remember anything," he mumbled to himself after thinking for a minute. Granny had said that it would take a few days for the memories to return but he was never one to be patient and there was something irking him about the mission. But he couldn't remember what. He groaned in frustration and flopped back onto his bed, his knuckles brushing his night stand. Something thunked to the ground. He rolled over onto his side and looked at the floor.

"What the?" he shot up and reached for his headband. _How in the hell did this get here? _Didn't he lose this? He ran his thumb over the engraved leaf in the metal plate frowning slightly. He remembered the night that Iruka had given it to him. It had been terrifying but it had also been one of the happiest moments of his life. He had found out about the Nine Tails on that night but he had also found out that Iruka-sensei believed him and that meant everything.

But _how_ had it ended up back in his room?

He made his way through his apartment. Nothing was out of place, his windows and doors were locked, and he couldn't detect any foreign chakra. But he had a weird feeling of being watched. He looked around once more but everything was still the same.

"UGH! Why is everything getting more confusing?" he asked aloud and pulling at his hair. He trudged back to his room and set the headband back on the nightstand before going to shower. He tried to relax as the warm spray of water hit his back. He could already feel a headache forming. He took a deep breath and turned the water off. He should be thankful right? He could have been caught by the Akatsuki. That thought didn't help at all actually. It would have been over then.

Naruto sighed and ran the towel through his hair, spiking it back up. He eyed his headband suspiciously as he entered the room. He half expected it to have disappeared again while he was out of the room. That headband held all the answers. But unfortunately for Naruto, inanimate objects couldn't talk. He got dressed and stuffed it in his pocket; he was going to keep it close.

Naruto walked around town a bit aimlessly, he wasn't sure what he was doing. He couldn't stop thinking about the mission, or rather that little bit that he remembered. It just didn't make any sense.

"Naruto what are you doing?" Kiba asked standing a few steps in front of him.

"Oh hey Kiba," Naruto asked snapping out of his reverie.

"Hey weren't you on a mission? Your head's all bandaged up, did you screw things up again?" Kiba asked smiling.

"What makes you say that? This is just a scratch," Naruto smiled.

"I bet you failed the mission huh?" Kiba teased and Akamaru barked at his side.

"You know you can be a real pain Kiba!" Naruto snapped at him at Kiba snickered.

"Kiba what are y-you doing? Oh! H-hello Na- Naruto," Hinata stuttered.

"Hey Hinata!" Naruto smiled turning his gaze on the pale-eyed girl.

"Ah N-Naruto you're b-back. I'm g-glad you're o-okay," Hinata answered quietly. "But what did y-you do to your h-head?" she asked with a slightly worried tone.

"Ah don't worry about it, it's just a scratch," Naruto said awkwardly. "Where are you guys going?"

"We're going to meet Shino, we have a mission," Kiba answered. Naruto nodded and started walking with them. "So what did you do on you're mission Naruto? I heard you disappeared."

"Oh, that," Naruto frowned. "I don't really remember anything. Granny says it's because I hit my head."

"Only you could pull that off," Kiba snorted.

"Yeah, yeah whatever," he grumbled, brushing off the other teen.

"W-we're glad t-that you're h-home," Hinata corrected for her teammate.

"It's annoying as hell that I can't remember anything though. I've tried everything!" he said.

"M-maybe if y-you stop trying it w-will come to you," she suggested.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking at her.

"Umm…" her cheeks flushed. "L-like w-when y-you're looking f-for something a-and can't f-find i-it but t-the s-second you stop l-looking y-you see i-it," she explained. Naruto frowned and thought about it.

"Yeah, that makes sense!" his face split into a big a smile and Hinata's face flushed even redder. "Thanks a lot Hinata! Be safe on you're mission!" he said before running off.

He continued toward the far end of the training grounds, he walked to the waterfall that Captain Yamato had created during his training to create the Rasenshuriken. He sat down against a tree and closed his eyes. He was going to do what Hinata had said and try not to think about his mission.

He must have dozed off instead because when he opened his eyes the sun was low in the sky. He yawned and stretched, his back popping from sitting in one position for too long. He frowned; Hinata's idea didn't seem to work. He still didn't remember anything. Then again Hinata's plan probably was meant to take days instead of just a few hours. But Naruto was never once to be patient. He sighed and stood, maybe he'd ask Granny Tsunade for advice to try something else.

Naruto was about to leave the training fields when a prickly feeling ran down his spine. He felt like he was being watched. It was the same feeling he had in his apartment earlier. He whirled around but no one was there, scanning the trees led to the same result. Nothing.

"Weird," he mumbled to himself. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and headed to Ichiraku's. Ramen always made him feel better.

* * *

**CV: I have NOT abandoned this story! I think about it a lot really, I think about Minato and Naruto ****_a lot _****when it comes to FFs****_. _****I have a lot of family fanfictions with the two but a lot of them are AU and I think that's where this one get's me snagged. Because I want my reasons for how things work to seem plausible and not just completely ridiculous (I blame being a perfectionist). But now that the manga is over it might help me work on this.**

**Updates are going to sporadic but maybe I'll get the next chapter out by Thanksgiving or right after, don't hold my word to it though. I'll try my best. And chapters are short. I have to ease myself back into this story and figure things out.**

**Next time on ****_Back to Back: _****Answers to Questions**


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